THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9095, 14 March 1908, Page 5

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

ARBITRATION COURT,

Per Press Association

Greymonth, March 18. The Arbitration Court gave an elaborate decision occupying ten pages. The argument that a strike cannot be an offence unless the award or industrial agreement was made after the Act came into force, was considered by the Court in the case of Inspector of Awards v, Millar, and it was there decided that effect of section 15 was to make strikes punishable in all cases where an award or industrial agreement was in force. The Court held, therefore, that there had been a strike within the moaning of the Act, and as this took place in pursuance of a resolution passed by the Union the Union had_ been guilty of the offence of proposing a strike, and was liable to a penalty under section 15. After reviewing the facts leading to the strike the Court came to the conclusion to inflict a penalty of £75. The cases against the Company were all dismissed.

The judgment ended by saying that the decision was a warning.that both Arbitration and strikes' as moans of settling disputes could not exist side by side. If workers by striking and approving of striking bring abont the destruction of the arbitration system, they may have occasion in future to deplore when too late the sad want of foresight shown by the leaders.

MEN REFUSE TO RETURN TO WORK, Per Press Association. Greymonth, March 13. The miners held a; meeting at Blackball tins afternoon j and decided not to resume work to-morrow, holding that the meeting on Thursday night agreeing to terms was Illegally called. .:r. \ A deputation waited on the manager to-night, and stated that the miners would not start work until half-an-hour “crib’ time was allowed, and a written guarantee that the seven men would not be:dismissed from the mine. The’manager refused to grant the demand, and so a deadlock was arrived at* THE STRIKE RENEWED. ; Greymonth, March 14. [’ No work ihas been'"done at Blackball Mine to-dav. :[■ ••••